Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-06-18
THE TRUE CINDERELLA.

There are few thoughts that are new ir
| the world, as Solomon discovered thou.
| sands of years ago. and said that there is
nothing new under the sum- Many of the
| best stories in our story books are only the
| reproduction of some very ancient bit OF
history or myth; and some of our readers
may be surprised to learn that the finest OF
all English nursery tales, Cinderella" was
once the delight of the children of Egypt
in the palmy days of the Pharaohs.
We will tell you how it all happened;
and we think that you will say that the
| old story is quite as clever as the new, and
| much more probable; for in the true Gin
derella history there are no fairy godmoth-
ers, no mice, and no pumpkins. A wise
old eagle takes all the management OF
the slipper, and we can in fancy see
him carrying it over the silver sands and
dark pyramids of Egypt, without too
greatly taxing our belief
Rodolphe-a pretty name to begin with
was the iairest lady in all Egypt. She
had dainty foot, and wore jeweled slip
pers, and all the people gazed upon her
with delight when she walked, as though
she was goddess or fairy.
She went out to battle one day among
the white lilies of the Nile. While she
and her maids were sporting in the water,
saw an eagle alight on the bank where
their clothes had been left. Presently il
| arose with something in It's talons, and
wheeling through the golden hazes, be-
came speck in the clear sky.
When Rodolphe came up the bank, she
| found that one of her jeweled slippers had
been carried away, and she said to hel
maids
"The eagle has taken it"
| And the maids said
Then it will bring you good luck The
| eagle is bird of good omen"
| So Rodolphe hobbled home with light
| heart, one of her slipperless feet crushing
! the lotus blossoms Her maids laughed al
| her, but she said
at is good luck, for an eagle has taker
it."
Far away up the Nile lay Memphis, with
her bright-winged temples and pahces-a
city seventeen miles in circuit, the seat Of
the Pharaohs for nearly thousand years
and at this time the capital of all Egypt
Here were the splendid temples of Iris
Scraps and of the Sun, and the throne was
now filled with a Pharaoh who had over.
thrown eleven other Egyptian kings
His name was Psammeticus. His son
! the Pharaoh Nechor, slew Josiah King OF
Judah, B. C. 610. (See Kings xiii
| He was sitting in a cool portico of his
palace toward evening. The crimson sun
was blazing low on the hot sands of the
desert, but cool winds tripped with light
feet along the dimpling waves of the Nile
and famed the king as they passed. He
arose, walked into an open court, when a
great shadow passed above him.
He looked up and beheld with delight
and awe an eagle descending, and wheel
| ing above his head, with something spark
| ling in his talons. He looked upon the
| bird as messenger from the Sun.
| He lifted his arms for Joy. Just then
the eagle began to ascend, dropping the
glittering treasure from his talons into his
! bosom.
1t was Rodolphe's jeweled slipper.
| The next day Psammeticus issued pro-
clamation which caused all Memphis to
wonder. Whoever would find the mate to
the jeweled slipper, which the eagle had
| brought to the palace, should be loaded
| with riches, and taken into the service Of
the king.
Rodolphe heard the great news. She be.
lieved that the eagle was indeed a messen-
ger of the gods 10 point out to her her
destiny. SO she came to magnificent Mem
phis, to answer the proclamation of the
king
With one slipperless foot she assembled
the grand porticoes of the Pharaohs, and
stood before the king with downcast eyes,
lifting her dress just above her dainty feet
a perfect vision of beauty OF course,
Psammeticus Immediately fell in love with
her, and married her, and made her queen
of all Egypt.
There was great Joy in all the dazzling
temples of Memphis when the marriage
was consummated-there was dancing, and
music, and strewings of flowers All Egypt
was happy Interstute Grammar School
Reader.